Kul.turista from Lannovy to Mladého
Every single story becomes part of the candidacy
In April, the Kul.turista office set out from the city centre to the districts of the city and started its mission - to provide the general public with information about Budweis' candidacy for the European Capital of Culture and to find out who lives in the city. For the first time, the second stop also included a neighbourhood festival in addition to the curated programme.
In this context, the Connected with Europe project worked well, directing the first steps of all passengers to a large map of Europe. From there, it was only a small step to starting a conversation about who the people who come to the city are, why they return and where they live, what Budweis offers them compared to other cities in the Czech Republic and Europe, and what they lack.
It is interesting to see that the first reaction of the locals is usually that "a dog died here" and that Budweis has nothing to offer even to the locals, let alone to Europe. Unlike discussions in the online space, when we meet in person, we can get deeper below the surface and find out what people in the city need and explain what a candidacy can bring to each of them.
Mrs. Marie, who is retired, loves travel talks but dreads going home alone in the evenings during the winter months, so she looks forward to spring when she can stay for longer. For Mr. Peter, culture is too expensive. Klára, the mother of a two-year-old girl, says that since the birth of her daughter, she no longer watches cinema programmes and relies only on open-air events. Many parents miss the play elements in the public space that would make them feel welcome in the wider city centre and therefore spend more time there. On the list of wishes that could be fulfilled by the candidacy, this time, to our surprise, the promenades and concerts in the Grove, regular dance halls and outdoor country concerts made the top three. We are grateful to you for sharing your memories and wishes with us. Every single story becomes part of the candidacy. As well as the stories of the people who are part of every Kul.turista program.
But the aim of Kul.turista is not only to learn about the culture of your city, but also to create a space for neighbours and local communities to meet as well as to be an impetus for sharing or sparking interest in the public space and joint initiatives. Thus, under the banner of Kul.turista, the local community was brought together and in less than two months of preparation, a rich programme was created in Havlíčkova Colony (mainly) by neighbours for neighbours. Local patriots, old neighbours as well as new neighbours alike created several places to meet, share needs and ideas. For example, the playground on Brožíkova Street, Polní Park and the adjacent Regule playground, Zeyer Street or the turntable at the Malý jez came to life. Neighbourhood festivities included planting flowers, exchanging toys, sharing cakes and recipes, baking sausages, looking at photos and creating. Again, there were several popular public walks with local guides, including art historians and environmentalists. In addition, the joint activity sparked a debate in the local community about the public space and its use, and aroused interest in its upcoming transformation.
We look forward to seeing what this little neighbourhood nudge will do in less than a month in another neighbourhood! You can find our Kul.turista office on May 19-22 at the turntable in Sucháč.